Moving On to the Next Chapter by Kelli Gore

Kelli Gore is the President of the Murray State University Student SHRM Chapter. She will be graduating in May 2024.

Coming to Murray State University in the Fall of 2020 was… interesting – to say the least. As a student who supported herself financially through high school and would be paying for college on her own, work was more of a priority than getting involved in clubs and organizations. I knew I wanted to make a change in college and get involved, but I just was not quite sure how. News flash… Fall 2020 was not the time to get involved given that all organization meetings were either postponed or virtual, so I waited.

In the Fall of 2021, I had recently switched my major from Social Work to Management/Human Resources and my sorority sister, Kaitlyn Sutton, urged me to get involved with the Society for Human Resource Management student chapter. I knew I wanted to be involved within my major, so I chose to start regularly attending meetings. These were some of my first introductions to the organization, LinkedIn, internships, guest speakers from surrounding areas, etc. and I was hooked. Every meeting I went to, I truly felt like I was falling more in love with the profession and gaining real-world knowledge that you may not always obtain in college courses.

Fast forward to now, I have had the opportunity to serve previously as the Vice President of our chapter and currently serve as the President. Serving as president this past year has been one of the most impactful experiences of my college career. I started in August as an Executive Committee of one (myself), and thankfully, myself and Professor Teri Ray quickly found great talent to bring to the team (Hailey Froehlich – Vice President, Caroline Clarke – Secretary, and Sharik Holmes – Public Relations/Recruitment). This year, our team and Professor Ray really focused on increasing attention to the organization on-campus through better communication, department relations, officer involvement, etc. We have also worked to strengthen our relationship with the Four Rivers SHRM professional chapter, and I think we have done just that.

This past year, we have held 6 in-person meetings at Murray State and attended the Four Rivers SHRM celebration in the Fall and conference this Spring. During our meetings, we have been extremely thankful to have Paige Kindle, Mary Anne Medlock, and Maurie McGarvey join us as guest speakers. Thank you all again for taking time out of your busy lives to share some of your knowledge and advice. I cannot thank each of you and Four Rivers SHRM for all the networking opportunities, insight, and real-world preparation that this organization and student chapter has given not only to me, but to our students at Murray State.

As I move on to the next chapter in my life, I truly want to thank everyone that I have had the opportunity to meet, speak with, and learn from due to the SHRM student chapter and professional organization. I know that the legacy of both organizations will continue under our new student chapter president, Sharik Holmes. I am so incredibly proud of Sharik’s growth as a leader, professional, and individual throughout her time in SHRM, and I know she will lead this chapter with utmost grace. I am eager to see how Sharik and the new executive officers continue to develop the student chapter into something extraordinary.

In conclusion, I would like to give a special thank you to Professor Teri Ray. Professor Ray has been my shoulder to lean on for the past three years, and I not only think – but know – that I would be lost without her. She has talked me through every internship, every interview, every class, and every personal situation in life for the past three years. Those that know Professor Ray acknowledge her remarkable personality, determination, and resilience. Professor Ray has been the most influential and inspirational role-model in my life throughout college, and I am beyond grateful to have met her and furthermore, be advised by her in these leadership roles. To Professor Ray – I truly apologize for all the texts, office visits, and manic episodes throughout these past few years and during my recent job search. With that said, I will probably continue to forever bother you… even into retirement. Professor Ray has shown me not only what it means to be a great professor, role-model, and HR professional, but also what it means to be a friend. Thank you for all that you do for SHRM, Murray State University, and myself. If no one else has ever told you this – you are my hero.

Signing Off,

Kelli Gore

Murray State University SHRM Chapter President (Chapter #5446)